The Role of the ICSU Regional Office for Africa in Sustainable Development of the

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sospeter Muhongo

Director, ICSU-Regional Office for Africa

(E-mail: s.muhongo@icsu-africa.org)

CODATA WORKSHOP

05-07 September 2005

Pretoria (South Africa)

2003: Facts and Figures fromthe Sub-Saharan Africa

Population: ca. 703 millions

Annual Population Growth: 2.1%

Life Expectance at Birth: 45.8 years

Mortality rate:

(infants per 1000 live births): 103.1

Prevalence of HIV/AIDS:

% age of population aged 15-49: ca 8.5%

Economic Status

Africa’s total public and private foreign debt is estimated at about US$ 500 billion

GNI: ca. US dollars 400 billion

GNI per capita: ca. US dollars 490

The Harsh Reality

• About 40% of Sub-Saharan Africa (ca 250 million people) lives in absolute poverty

• About 58% of Sub-Saharan African children are annually enrolled in primary schools

• By January 2000, 73% of Somalia’s children were undernourished

Millennium Goals

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

2. Achieve universal primary education

3. Promote gender equality

4. Reduce child mortality

5. Improve maternal health

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

7. Ensure environmental sustainability

8. Develop a Global Partnership for Development

2000: World GDP, Population, R&D

World

Population

World

Researchers

World GDP

World

GERD

Developing Countries 79% 28% 42% 20%

Developed Countries 21% 72% 58% 80%

Global-Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD): 2000- US$ 746 billion

1997- US$ 547 billion

World Researchers: 1997 – Developing Countries: 28%

1985 - “ 12%

2000: Shares of World GERD (by region)

1

30

1

38

3

27

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Africa

Asia

Oceania

N America

Latin America&Caribbean

Europe

2000: Shares of World GERD

0.6

0.3

1.6

6.7

7.1

35.6

13.2

0 10 20 30 40

Africa

S Africa

India

China

Germany

USA

Japan

% age

2000: Researchers per million inhabitants

78

309

143

554

3109

4006

5206

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000

Africa

S Africa

India

China

Germany

USA

Japan

Researchers

Water Resources(Safe Drinking Water)

51

97

7824

38

38

93

57

0 20 40 60 80 100

Nigeria

Libya

Algeria

Chad

Uganda

Tanzania

Botswana

Namibia

% of population

Groundwater: Over 95% of the Earth’s useable fresh water is stored as groundwater

Transborder groundwater resources

Annual Fertilizer Use(kg/hectare of cropland)

18

46

113

92

60

58

0.5

0.4

0.3

1.2

5.5

26World

N America

S America

CentralAmerica

Oceania

Africa

Million of Tractors

Fertilizer

Tractors

World’s Commercial Energy (Production & Consumption)

6.2

2.633.6

30.7

2.31.4

4.93.4

2.528.6

24.6

2.8

0 10 20 30 40

AFRICA

ASIA

OCEANIA

S AMERICA

C AMERICA

N AMERICA

CONSUMPTION (%)

PRODUCTION (%)

Energy ResourcesPhanerozoic Energy Resources

• Fossil Energy: gas, petroleum, coal

• Primary Energy: hydro, geothermal, nuclear (U-ores)

• Sea-bed energy source (future?)- Energy reserves equivalent to all oil, gas and coal on the planet

Earth lie beneath the sea-bed- Huge amounts of METHANE GAS trapped by water molecules at

super-high pressure (>50 atms/2500C) are found on the deep ocean sea-bed

- 1 cc of gas hydrate holds up to 60 cc of methane- NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES: global warming high sea-level changes (tidal waves)

Africa’s Reserves of Selected Industrial Minerals

39

30

37.8

76.1

81.2

61

IndustrialDiamonds

Titanium

Rutile

Phosphates

Chromium

Manganese

World’s Share (%)

Industrialization in Africa

Industrial Materials

• Gypsum: inland lake deposits: agriculture/cement/chalk/plaster of Paris

• Ceramic Clays: kaolin paper industry/refractory/pottery/fired clay bricks

• Limestone & Marble: tiles/lime (Au-processing, road stabilization, water purification)

• Bauxite: water purification/source of Al

• Volcanic tuff/pozzolana: construction of better houses

STRATEGIC METALS

The New Information and Communication Technology

(NICT) industrial sector

is highly dependent on the supply of strategic metals such as:

Indium (In): Mobile electronics, Semi-Conductors

Tantalum (Ta): Laptop computers, and other electronics (e.g. Telephones)

Platinum: Exhaust catalysers for petrol engines (60%)

Palladium: Exhaust catalysers for diesel engines (50%)

Scandium & Rhenium metals: superalloy industry

Environmental Problems: Man-made Hazards

• Water Pollution: heavy metals & toxic elements

• Deforestation: aridity, soil erosion, landslides

• Siltation: rivers, lakes, water pipes, dams

• Disposal of Tailings: mining waste disposal

• Acid Drainage: source: mines, chemical industries, etc

• Destruction of Eco-systems: ● sand-gravel mining

● construction of dams and houses ● over-harvesting of eatable animal & plant species

Social Problems: Child labour, Health Care, Immigration problems

Natural Hazards: predictions(Geo-Information)

• Earthquakes• Volcanoes• Landslides• Floods• Collapse of Constructions: Engineering Geology

• Sea Level Changes: Tsunamis, Hurricanes, Tornadoes

• Global Warming: Greenhouses gases

• Solar System: Fall of Meteorites

Environmental Problems: Air Pollution Total CO2 emissions

36.4

27.5

26

3.3

2.1

3.3

1.4

Asia

Europe

N America

S America

Caribbean

Africa

Oceania

% of total emission

PRIORITY AREAS OF THE ICSU REGIONAL OFFICE

■ health and human-well being■ sustainable energy■ natural and man-induced hazards■ global climate change

Concomitant programs: cross–cutting projects: ♦ well-functioning secretariat♦ increase and sustain membership from Africa♦ promote the formation of African Networks of scientists♦ data base of African scientists, including those in diaspora♦ capacity building & maintenance♦ promotion of constructive indigenous science, knowledge and skills♦ gender balance♦ outreach (advocacy) activities